The plane screamed over
the bay and dropped toward the water. Just when it looked like we were going to get wet, the runway appeared beneath us. Another
Logan
landing.
Val stretched her arms over her head. “Is it still Thursday?”
I grinned. “Yes, and we’ve still got another ten hours to go before it’s over.”
She sighed. “We’ve been running around for a week now. Did you think this Soul Identity work would be this fun?”
That was an interesting question; a little over a week ago I planned to spend a few weeks in
Boston
, alone in a hotel room, sacrificing my valuable fishing time in order to make Soul Identity’s application safer while I helped my neighbor become a member.
“Almost getting us bombed and suffocated?” I smiled. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
We got off the plane and went through immigration and customs. Rose and Marie picked us up and brought us to Ann Blake’s house.
We stood in the foyer with the girls,
Berry
, and Madame Flora.
“How was
India
?”
Berry
asked.
“Very hot,” Val said.
“And very cold,” I countered.
Val looked at me. “Very informative,” she said.
I smiled. “And very mysterious.”
“You guys sound like Grandma when she’s reading palms,” Marie said.
“Only then she adds, ‘that’s all for today—come back next week for more information,’” Rose said.
“Girls, you’re giving away all my secrets,” Madame Flora said.
The twins rolled their eyes. “Goodness, Grandma, everybody here knows the game,” Rose said.
The girls showed us to our room and then drove us over to the Soul Identity offices.
“Mr. Morgan told everybody that you both survived the blast and would be back at work soon,” Marie said. She unrolled the window and gave our names to the guard. The gates opened and we were through. “We’ll just drop you off.” She pulled around to the front of the building.
A man in a gray suit sat at
Elizabeth
’s desk. Val and I walked right by, and he frowned and reached for his phone as we passed him. Val badged us in, and we headed to the elevators and pressed the down button.
James peered at us from his stool. “Welcome back, frequent travelers,” he said as he punched our cards. “On your next ride you two are going first class.”
Val smiled. “We can’t wait, James.”
Forty stood inside the doors to the dungeon. “Jeez, Val, when Mr. Morgan told us you survived the explosion, the whole dungeon cheered.”
“That’s so sweet, Forty.” Val gave him quick hug and kissed his cheek.
Forty’s face went red, and he mumbled, “We’re all glad you’re safe.” He smiled at me. “You too, dude.”
In Val’s office, I looked at the tiny hole in the wall. The toothpick I had placed there was gone. I peered inside, and I could see the lens.
“I wonder if there are others,” Val whispered.
“We should expect that whatever we do here, we’ll be watched and listened to rather closely.” I looked up at the ceiling. “If anybody is listening, please tell Mr. Feret that we’d like to see him this afternoon,” I said.
“You think he’ll meet with us?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I hope so. In the meantime, I’ll do my email.”
I reached into my laptop bag and found a penny. “Do you have any tape?” I asked.
“On the desk.”
I taped the penny over the camera hole, and I faced my laptop screen toward it, hoping that was the only camera along the wall.
I brought up my email and clicked on the latest message from my parents. Its subject was “More fun in
Iceland
.” As it came up, I tapped Val on the shoulder.
She leaned over and read with me. My parents had hitched a ride from some NATO soldiers working on opening the washed out roads. They spent the afternoon back at the Blue Lagoon
hot springs
.
We looked at the pictures together, and I was about to close the email when Val grabbed my arm and pointed at the bottom.
After the “Love, Mom and Dad,” there was a postscript. Dad had written, “Wanted to let you know that we overheard two marooned travelers in the steam room. They were pissed they were going to miss the birth of the new order of Soul Identity on Friday, and they were calling to see if there was a way they could reach Venice by Saturday.”
Val opened her mouth to say something, but I put my finger up to her lips. I opened a text window on my laptop.
Talk here
, I typed.
Birth on Friday—that matches what George said.
She nodded.
What could that be?
I thought about it for a minute.
They like blowing things up. Maybe they will destroy the existing leadership in one big blast.
She shook her head.
That won’t help Feret gain legitimacy.
I opened his speech and pointed to the goals in the first section. Feret wrote that he had “taken over the Soul Identity leadership and will be redistributing all the assets according to a new order.” I went back to our text window.
My parents heard birth. Feret says take over. Neither tells us how.
We needed to figure this out today. Before Friday.
We’ll have to get rid of Bob and Elizabeth tonight,
I typed.
Send them home early or something. Maybe even feed them some disinformation.
She went over to her desk, opened the bottom drawer, and pulled out a small yellow cloth pouch. She brought the pouch back to the table and sat back down.
What’s that?
I typed.
A bug for Bob.
She opened the pouch behind her laptop screen. She pulled out a tiny microphone and a small gold transmitter.
How do we get it on him?
Tonight, at the meeting.
Can we test it first?
She shook her head.
Someone might hear.
Sounds like a plan.
I smiled.
Hey, this chatting over computers is fun. It almost feels like we’re in the same room.
Val erased what we had typed. “You’re crazy.” She put the microphone and transmitter back in the yellow pouch, and put the pouch in her laptop bag.
I pulled the laptop back in front of me.
I think Feret is going to kill Archie and Ann.
She sat back in her chair for a minute. Then she leaned forward and typed,
That would definitely change the leadership and cause a rebirth.
We may be targets too. Don’t forget the guesthouse and hotel.
She frowned.
Andre seems well prepared and hard to beat: it seems like we’re just reacting to his moves. We need some leverage.
We have a few tricks up our sleeves,
I typed.
Berry, our knowledge of Bob and Brian, our proof that Feret screwed up the match program.
But it’s all just defense if we can’t project where he’s going next.
Brian stuck his head in the doorway. “Welcome back, Val. Hello, Scott,” he said.
I closed my laptop cover. “Hey Brian, what’s up?”
He put an ominous expression on his face. “Mr. Feret would like to meet with both of you,” he said. “Right away.”
I looked at Val. “I guess the walls do have ears.”
We packed our laptops and took them with us. Then we followed Brian to the elevator.
Val and I handed James our cards, and he said, “You two are riding first class.” He squinted at Brian. “Where is your frequent traveler card, young man?”
Brian stared at James. “Just bring us to the second floor,” he snarled. “Now.”
“Would you like a card?” I asked. “James bumps you to first class after just five trips.”
Brian shifted his gaze between me and James. “What kind of moron has frequent traveler plans for elevators?”
“Suit yourself,” James said. He hopped down from his stool and opened a panel right behind him. “Sir, you’re going to have to shift a little bit to your right,” he said to Brian. He pointed to the front of the elevator. “How about standing right there?”
Brian shifted and glared at James, who smiled back and drew a curtain across the elevator, leaving Val and me in our own compartment in the back.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. James entered our section. “Let me get your seats,” he said. He pulled a recessed lever, and a velvet-covered bench folded down from the back wall.
Val and I sat, and James went back to the other side of the curtain. Val was shaking with suppressed giggles.
James poked his head through. “Where are my first class passengers going today?” he asked.
I pointed at the curtain. “You’ll have to ask the man riding in cattle class.”
“Yes, sir.” James disappeared, and we heard him speak to Brian. “Where to today, sir?”
“We have an important meeting with Mr. Feret.”
“Who, sir?”
“Mr. Feret.” Brian’s voice had grown sharp.
“Never heard of him.”
“Second floor! Now move it, you idiot!”
“Just a minute, sir.”
The curtains moved, and James poked his head through again. “Sorry for the delay, folks. We have an unruly passenger in the front. We’ll be leaving in just a second.” He disappeared again.
We heard the doors open, a thud, and a loud “Ouch!” from Brian. Another thud, and we heard James say, “Stay off my train until you learn your manners!”
The doors closed, and James popped his head through the curtain. “Some people should stick to the stairs.” He pulled the curtain all the way open. “We’ll have you on the second floor in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”
The elevator went up, and James opened the doors. Brian was standing outside, panting from having apparently run up the stairs. He glared at James, hands on his hips.
James smiled. “Second floor! All first class passengers please disembark!”
We stood up and got off the elevator.
“How was your trip?” I asked.
“My trip was fine,” Val said. “A luxury ride.”
“I was asking Brian.”
Brian opened his mouth. Then he closed it and walked off down the hall to the right. “Follow me,” he said over his shoulder.
Brian knocked on a door that was directly below Archie’s office.
“Enter!” a voice called, the same voice I had heard on the recorded call. It had a strong French accent, and it sounded like
entair
.
Brian opened the door, and Val and I stood face to face with Andre Feret.
Feret hadn’t changed much
from his picture with the tourists in Lamayuru eleven years ago, although he had traded in the red robes for a suit and added a splash of gray at his temples.
He shook my hand. “Mr. Waverly, welcome to Soul Identity.” He offered a slight bow to Val. “Good afternoon, Valentina. Please come in and have a seat.” He closed the door on Brian.
Feret crossed his legs and folded his hands over his knee. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?” he said.
I nodded. “Where do you want to start, Andre? Or do you prefer Fred?”
Feret gave a broad smile, showing perfect teeth. “Either name will do, I suppose,” he said. “You seem to have made some good progress in your investigations.”
“Not enough, though,” I said. “We still don’t know what you’re up to.”
He laughed. “I very much enjoy your American straightforwardness.” He stood up and walked behind his chair and put a solemn look on this face. “I am trying with all my might to save this place.”
“Save it from what?” I asked.
“From ruin,” he said. “Soul Identity is an uncaring organization that is disconnected with its members and unable to move ahead with the times. Its members are voting their displeasure by withdrawing their deposits.”
“Some may say that as an overseer, you are part of that problem,” I said.
“That is an interesting hypothesis, but it is not so,” he said. “For the last ten years, I have worked very hard at changing this organization, but I have been stymied at each and every step.” He pointed at Val. “If you don’t believe me, ask your friend Valentina—she knows.”
I turned to Val, and she nodded at me.
Feret gave Val a short bow. “Everybody knows I moved to
Venice
as a sign of my unhappiness with the way Archibald was running Soul Identity.”
“There’s a big gap between getting upset at the management and starting a competitor,” I said.
He cocked his head to one side. “A competitor, you say?”
“WorldWideSouls,” Val said.
Feret smiled. “WorldWideSouls? Our security guards? They’re not a competitor.”
“Then why are you addressing them in
Venice
on Saturday?” she asked.
Feret’s eyes narrowed. “I see some members have been talking out of place. No matter, all will be resolved shortly,” he said. “I am giving a speech to WorldWideSouls. Nothing more.”
“Why not just tell me the truth?” she asked.
Feret glared at Val. “Ms. Nikolskaya,” he said in clipped tones, “I will not discuss the private business of the Soul Identity overseers.”
“I’m having a hard time believing that it’s overseer business to talk about a new order.” I said.
He raised both his hands. “I need you to stop asking questions and listen to what I have to say.”
The three of us shared a moment of silence as we glared at each other.
Feret smiled. “Thank you. As I mentioned earlier, you two have been very productive and innovative in your investigations. I appreciate all you have been doing for us, and I am looking forward to working with you more in the future. You have a lot of potential for growth at Soul Identity.”
Why would he be praising us?
“But,” he continued, “I am working hard at ramping up our new security team and assessing our current security posture. I have no time to worry about your investigations, and I fear that you two will be getting in the way of my efforts.”
That’s why—he was sidelining us.
A sly smile crept over his face. “At this time,” he said, “I wish you to inform you that you both are suspended for a period of one week. No more investigations, no more work on the new system. You will immediately turn over your badges and all company equipment to me for the duration of this suspension.” He looked at each of us. “Do you have any questions?”
“Why a week?” I asked. “Won’t you have everything wrapped up by Saturday?”
Feret smiled. “I plan to. But I will not return to
Sterling
right away.” He walked over to his desk and sat down. He picked up his handset and spoke into it. “Please come up. I need Mr. Waverly and Ms. Nikolskaya escorted off the premises.”
He hung up the phone and looked at me. “We have approximately ninety seconds before my guards will remove you from my office. Then I will see you two next Thursday afternoon at,” he looked at his watch, “shall we say four p.m?”
Val had opened her laptop bag and was using the chair to shield her motions. I saw her pull out the yellow pouch.
To buy her some time, I got up and started walking toward him. “Why can’t you tell us your plans?” I asked loudly. “What’s the master stroke you’re delivering tomorrow?”
Feret rolled back in his chair until he was up against his credenza. “Mr. Waverly, I find your behavior threatening. Please sit down, or I will ask my guards to shoot you.”
Val was probably done. “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ve got no reason to hurt you.” I returned to my seat.
Feret rolled back to his desk. “Ms. Nikolskaya, I must confiscate your laptop bag along with its contents.”
Val slid the yellow pouch and the photo of young Feret over to me. “I have some personal items in here,” she said. “May I take them with me?”
He allowed a brief smile to escape his lips. “Of course you may,” he said. “Please do it here on my desk, though. I would hate the thought of you leaving with any of our organization’s property.”
Val opened her laptop bag and extracted her passport, a lipstick tube, and a pair of sunglasses. While this was going on I was able to slip the yellow pouch and photo of Feret into my bag.
Feret made a show out of going through Val’s items, even opening and twisting the lipstick tube. Then he handed them to Val. “Everything looks in order,” he said.
He looked at me.
“Don’t even think about looking in my bag,” I said.
The door opened. Two gray suited men came in. Feret pointed at us. “Please remove them from our premises,” he said. “I have suspended them.”
We stood up and walked to the door. I looked over my shoulder and caught Feret smiling. “See you soon,” I said.
“But not too soon, Mr. Waverly.” His lips curled into something between a smile and a sneer.
“This is
causus belli
,” I said. Pathetic, but
an occasion of war
was the only Latin phrase that came to mind.
“
Dulce bellum inexpertis
.” He smiled. “Since your Latin is clumsy, allow me to translate—
War is sweet to those without experience
.”
One of the gray suited guys prodded me in my back. I walked through the door and caught up with Val.
We took the stairs down to the lobby. The guard at
Elizabeth
’s desk smiled as we walked past him.
“Can you call us a cab?” I asked the guy in the rear. “I forgot my cell phone today.”
He shook his head. “I need to get you off our property as soon as possible. There’s a gas station a mile or so on the right. They have a pay phone.”
I nodded. The other gray suit left, and the three of us walked outside and headed up the driveway toward the gates.
“Don’t you have a golf cart we could ride in?” I asked the guard.
“That would be nice,” he said.
“Seems like you’ve done this before,” I said.
He nodded. “You two make number five and six today. But you’re the first ones he’s suspended, and the other four had vehicles. Where’s yours?”
“We just flew in.” I stuck out my hand. “My name’s Scott.”
He looked around and then shook my hand. “John,” he said.
“Hold on a sec, I’ve gotta tie my shoe,” I said.
John nodded. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one.
“John, there’s no smoking on Soul Identity grounds,” Val said. “You should know that.”
“The rules have changed, ma’am. You’re not the first to ask me that. As of today we can smoke on the grounds, but not in the buildings.”
“Who’s changing the rules?” I asked.
John shrugged. “I assume it was Mr. Feret. That’s what he did last time.”
I threw a glance at Val. “You knew him before?” I asked.
“Of course. I was there when he became the boss at WorldWideSouls.” He smiled. “This team is in for a rude awakening.”
“He runs a tight ship?” I asked.
John snorted. “In WorldWideSouls the boss is king.”
“You’re not a member, are you?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Just a hired hand.”
“Me too,” I said. “Be careful, okay? They’re suspending even us contractors.”
He frowned. “What kind of work do you do?”
“Security, just like you,” I said. “They brought me up here from
Maryland
a bit over a week ago.” I pointed at Val. “She arrived a day before me.”
John’s eyes narrowed. “How come I haven’t seen you around?”
“Special assignment,” I said in a low voice. “Out of the country.” I pointed at our clothes. “We’ve been out of uniform and under cover.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“We left on Thursday, right after the blast,” I said.
John stubbed out his cigarette. “I heard about the blast.”
I nodded. “And this is how they say thanks.”
“You must’ve pissed somebody off,” he said. “What’d you do?”
“We, ah,” I looked at Val, and then leaned close and whispered, “We got too close for these guys to handle.”
John’s eyes widened and he checked out Val’s figure. “I’d trade a suspension for her,” he whispered back.
I nodded and winked.
We reached the gate, and John pulled out a business card. “Since you’re fellow security officers—call if you need something.” He wrote his cell phone number on the bottom of the card.
Val turned on her smile. “Thanks, John.”
He smiled back. “Doing my job, ma’am.”
We reached the gate and shook John’s hand. Then we started walking down the road. When we reached the end of the Soul Identity property, Val turned into the woods and beckoned me to follow. I started to stay something, but she put her finger to her lips.
We walked another hundred yards and entered a small clearing. Val grabbed a little stick and wrote in the dirt, “Bugs.”
She kicked off her shoes, slipped out of her blouse and slacks, and stood in her bra and panties. I stripped down to my boxers.
We started with her shoes. They were clean, and we moved to her pants. Nothing. But when we got to her blouse, Val found a tiny microphone glued to her collar. She pulled it off and set it down on a rock.
We found another one under my shirt collar. Val brought her lips to my ear. “We have to find the transmitter.”
We didn’t see it in my bag. “Maybe it was in yours,” I said.
“Andre wouldn’t have taken it back. It has to be in yours.”
“Let me check in your bra.”
She stifled a giggle and pointed to my boxers. “Careful, your own transmitter is peeking out.”
I fixed myself. Then I rechecked my bag’s outside pockets and found the transmitter hiding under the stubs of my boarding passes. It looked identical to the one in Val’s yellow pouch.
I cupped my hand to her ear. “You think that’s all the bugs?” I whispered.
Val nodded.
“How do you deactivate it?”
“On the bottom.” She switched it off.
I thought for a minute. “We should use these bugs to our advantage,” I said.
“Like make a fake recording?”
I nodded.
We got dressed and replanted the bugs. Val turned the transmitter back on. “How far until we reach a pay phone?” I asked in what I hoped was a normal voice.
“Less than a mile,” she said. “Let’s hurry up.”
We reached the gas station just as a familiar green limousine pulled up.
Before Bob could get out, I pulled Val close and whispered, “Maybe we can get Bob to spill the beans.”
Bob came over with a big smile on his face. “Hello, Val, hello, Scott. Elizabeth and I just got word that you had some trouble with Mr. Feret, so we came to give you a ride back to Ms. Blake’s house.”
“How sweet,” Val said.
So now Bob was calling me Scott.
“Thanks, Bob,” I said. “Who told you what happened?”
He stared at me for a second. “One of my delivery buddies called and told me you and Val were escorted off the grounds.”
I needed to give Bob more credit. He could think on his feet.
Val flashed him a smile. “How was your trip to
Baltimore
?”
“It was great, Val,” he said. “I showed
Elizabeth
my apartment, my delivery van, and my church.” He opened the rear door. “Come on inside.”
We climbed in. The partition was down, and
Elizabeth
looked back at us. “What a terrible thing that man did to you,” she said. “Wait until I tell my mother. She can help you get your suspension lifted.”